Oviedo salutes Alonso

At 12:10, high above the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Oviedo, one man stepped onto the balcony. The crowd below went wild. More than 20,000 people filled the streets, waving blue and yellow flags in celebration of history’s youngest double world champion.

“For me, it is an honour to see the city like this, with the banners, with the support you give me, and everybody in blue and yellow,” announced Fernando to the crowd. “I want to thank you. You show your support at every race, at every Grand Prix, and I think I can say that I have the best supporters in the world. You see this in other sports, to have the fans chanting, but not in motorsport. Very few drivers can have this, and I am privileged to be one of them.”

The Asturian hero then proceeded to recount his season. The fantastic start for the team, the joy of Barcelona – “it was a race where I felt different to normal… I gave everything and more in every corner because the people in the stands were supporting me from corner to corner…” – and the difficult summer months, when “the wolf was coming” and Ferrari eroded a once comfortable championship advantage..

Indeed, Fernando conceded that once, only once, had he doubted. “Two races from the end, I thought about the possibility of losing the championship, but then I realised there was still a long way to go – and we had to keep our hope.”

But he was driven by that hope, by the need to keep his team strong and motivated – and by a determination that he deserved victory in the championship.

“There was a lot of pressure, and a lot of anger inside me as well. There had been things we did not understand, that seemed unfair and against the sport, and we had to take victory to show that the sport always comes out on top in the end, and that the good guys do win.”

The past was left behind, though, as he called on his fans to enjoy the moment, and to celebrate the fact that “all the people of Asturias, and all of Spain, are double world champions. We now need to enjoy these months.”

From his hometown, Fernando has another special appointment today – at Viry-Châtillon, to thank those people who poured their heart and soul into the RS26 engine throughout the demanding season. And after that, he will take his time to relax, to remember and to savour a remarkable year – before moving on to pastures and challenges new…